Ready Made Shirt Sizes

[MDec]

I am trying to see if anyone has documentation on the sizes of civilian ready made shirts. Were they stamped with a size? Did they use chest measurement as the size, as opposed to the military 1, 2, 3, 4 sizes? I'm sure different manufacturers may have had their own sizing routine, but was there one that was prevalent or more common? When they were laying on a shelf in a clothing store, they must have had a way to distinguish different sizes.

Thanks in advance for any help,
Michael Dec

[lukegilly13]

Re: Ready Made Shirt Sizes

Check out this add. You can see the markings in the advertisement where their crictical measurements are to "warrant fit".


Also here's another one. Although this one doesn't show the actual measurements it does say that they send the directions for measurements anywhere.


Both images are courtesy of the Harper's Weekly.

It seems to me that even the ready made shirts were ordered the same way you would have a shirt tailored except you do your own measurements. Of course, that only speaks for the above two companies. Perhaps if you purchased a shirt "off the shelf" it may be similar to today where you try it on or just hold it up in front of yourself?? Hope this helps!

[Elaine Kessinger]

Re: Ready Made Shirt Sizes

From my research, shirts were either custom-made (either the customer taking the measurements, as advertised above, or the shirt-maker taking the measurements) or they were bought 1/2 dozen to a box ready-to-wear. Ready-to-wear shirts were cut to whatever measurements and pattern the cutter had available. It either fit "well enough" or the customer had his shirts custom-made. Even during the war, the military shirts were issued in a single size for everyone and it was expected each person would adjust it accordingly.